NTSB's Hart Warns on Changing Nature of Drug Problems
WASHINGTON — The nature of drug problems for drivers in general, including those who operate trucks and buses commercially, is changing, and fleet managers need to be aware, the acting chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board said .
NTSB chief Christopher Hart said in an interview here that problems from abuse of alcohol and illegal drugs are well-known, and commercial drivers generally are good at avoiding those. But legal prescription and over-the-counter drugs are another matter.
“There is a huge lack of knowledge in this area. There is no ‘bright line’ test for these drugs like there is for alcohol,” Hart said Feb. 5.
Fast-talking disclaimers on television commercials tell much of the story, said Hart, who has been the board’s acting leader since the April departure of former Chairman Deborah Hersman.
“These are the drugs where they warn you not to operate heavy machinery. We don’t understand all of the interactions, and they need to be measured,” he said.
The board also is starting to look more at the effects of marijuana usage on national highway safety in the wake of legalization or decriminalization in Washington state, Colorado and Washington, D.C.
“We don’t just wait for dead bodies to start showing up,” said Hart, who has been a high-ranking transportation official at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration as well as NTSB.
For more of our exclusive interview with Christopher Hart, watch for the Feb. 16 issue of Transport Topics.
